Opinion's Only

Broken

2011-01-19T14:40:00.004-05:00

Last year (2010) just about everything that could break, did. We called it the year of the broken. I replaced the control panel on the dishwasher as well as the fuse a couple of times. I replaced the motor on the clothes dryer. We junked the Toyota Camry because of failed rod bearings. Donovan did major damage to his leg and is the proud owner of a huge scar that allowed entry to a plate and several screws. The upstairs shower started leaking which necessitated a huge hole in the downstairs ceiling in order to fix it. I could go on, but I am trying to block it all from my memory.

Then, this morning, this happens.

Icy roads helped Spencer over the curb and into a tree. Everyone was fine. The air bags didn't even go off. But the wheel was damaged so that it cannot be driven.

I sure hope this doesn't turn into the the decade of the broken.

The Dichotomy of Music

2010-12-14T08:34:00.004-05:00

I was enjoying the high school choir holiday concert on Sunday when one of the groups began to sing "This Little Light of Mine." My mind wandered back a few years to preschool concerts. I could see in my mind the children being herded to the front of the room by their teachers. I remembered how cute the children were as they sang their little hearts out. Their enthusiasm and smiles made it impossible not to grin from ear to ear.

Sunday was different. The music director had complete control. With just a wave of the hand or a knowing glance, the young adults made seamless transitions. Their faces beamed with pride. They sang with confidence and clarity as their voices rang through the auditorium. Their was a smile on my face, but it was difficult to hold back the tears in my eyes from the beauty of the music.

Study Hard

2010-07-16T14:49:00.010-04:00

Are my math skills rusty?

2010-07-02T09:41:00.002-04:00

I just had an occasion to read the following:

"Did you know, in 2006, an estimated 2 million U.S. employees were physically or verbally abused in the workplace? Workplace violence affects one out of every four full-time American workers each year.*"

*Source: Northwestern National Life Insurance

So let me see if I got this correct. 2 million abused, which is 25% of the work force. Therefore, there are 8 million people in the work force in a country of approximately 300 million people?

Unemployment is a huge problem.

Miami University Student Foundation Triathlon

2010-04-19T09:17:00.011-04:00

I participated in the Miami University Student Foundation Triathlon over the weekend. It was a great event. Everything seemed so well planned and thought out. The facilities were great. I especially loved swimming in the 50 meter pool. Here at the "Y" we only have a 25 yard pool and it gets tiresome turning around all the time.

The volunteers at the event were helpful. I had asked a couple of questions of the volunteers and they had the answers and were cheerful in their response. Along the course it was nice to have them cheer us on. Even the participants who finished before me were there to cheer me on! All in all it was a great event.

I trained long and hard for this event. I awoke early many days a week training in the cold and sometimes snow and rain. On the day of the event I swam hard, rode hard, and ran hard. In fact, I was imagining that it was my best run ever. Therefore, I eagerly awaited the posting of the results.

Saturday afternoon I check the website, no results. Saturday night? Nope. I awoke early on Sunday morning, no results. Now I am starting to have mixed feelings about the event. I check again Sunday afternoon, photos!

The photos are great. What a nice addition to the race to have our pictures taken as we cross the finish line. But where are the results?

There was a set of train tracks that ran through the middle of the course. They had warned us before the race began that CSX was not cooperating and there existed the possibility of a train interrupting the race. They promised that if it did happen all those involved would have their times adjusted accordingly. Just as I crossed the tracks, I could hear the bell begin to ring and the crossing gate go down. Was that the hold up with the results?

Finally, Sunday evening the results get posted and what do I find? There it was in three large capital letters, DNF. Did Not Finish?? Was it a dream? I realize I only had 3 hours sleep on Friday night. As I was loading the van on Friday night I discovered a broken spoke. A quick trip to the bike shop for a new one solved that problem, but then I popped my tube. This time off to Wal-Mart because the bike shop had long since closed. Eventually I got the van loaded and off to bed by midnight. The next morning (or was it still night time) it was a long 2 and a half hour drive to Oxford, OH. I may have been a little sleepy, but I clearly remember the great time I had at the event. The course, the volunteers, the spectators, the participants, and all that training made for a great event.

DNF? No, I am sure I was there. My sore legs know I was there. And, the photo shows me crossing the finish line.

Three Strikes, You're Out

2008-05-30T09:30:00.013-04:00

Why is it I always seem to write about customer service? Today I have yet another tale about how three different entities could have offered a simple solution to the same problem, but they all failed.

I recently had two skylights installed as part of a roof replacement project for my home. At the end of the day I went to open my new skylights and there was no control hook on either window. (The control hook allows me to connect a long rod to the crank handle so that I can open the windows on the ceiling from the ground.) I asked the contractor about the hooks and he assured me that they were not in the box. I was unsure whether or not there should have been hooks in the box as the retailer had many options for the skylights and maybe that was an option I failed to purchase. I also could not go through the box myself as it was at the bottom of a dumpster full of the shingles they had torn off the house.

I made a call to the retailer where I had purchased the skylights and they assured me that they should have been in the box. But that was no problem. They would send a couple of hooks out to me.

After two weeks, I did not receive my hooks so I called the retailer back and again explained the situation. Again I got the same response and they said they would try submitting a warranty claim so that I could get my hooks. However, the next day they called me back saying they could not get any hooks for me. The manufacturer assured them that the hooks were in the box and that it was impossible for them to be missing.

Next I tried the manufacturer of the skylights and explained the story to them. They insisted that the hooks were in the box along with a few other items I might need (none of which I now possess). They offered to sell me two new hooks at $14 a piece.

Am I expecting too much? Let's review what is at stake here.

I spent $6300 for a roof replacement and installation of two skylights. When $28 in parts come up missing, the contractor offers to do nothing. If I were the contractor, I would be apologizing profusely and offering to order two new hooks and have them installed at once, especially when I see that the customer lives in a neighborhood where there are many other roofs that need replaced. $28 would be very cheap advertising and compared to the $6300 received from the customer, would be easy to cover. Strike one.

I spent $1000 for two skylights and when $28 in parts come up missing the retailer at first tries to do the right thing by offering to get me replacements. Apparently, that was only because they thought they would be getting them free from the manufacturer. When they discovered they might have to cover the cost they backed down. If I were the retailer I would be thinking $28 is nothing compared to the $1000 I collected from the customer. Order the replacements and have them sent out immediately. Strike two.

I purchased two skylights made by a reputable manufacturer that has a track record of great customer service and when $28 in parts come up missing (that's retail value, not manufacturing cost) the manufacturer offers to do nothing. If I were the manufacturer I would recognize that this is an opportunity for great customer service and even though it was not my fault, would send out replacement hooks. My cost to send out replacements would be worth the praise I would receive from the customer as he told all his neighbors about his new skylights (that I made!). Customers like to tell about the experiences they have had and I would take any opportunity available to me to cause a good experience, especially one that costs so little. Strike three.

If you are keeping tabs on the money I just spent you might be thinking to yourself why am I complaining about $28. After all that's nothing compared to the $7300 I spent on the roof and skylights. The problem is, as I have mentioned before, it is the simple things in life that make the most difference. This small amount of money has caused me to speak badly about a local contractor, internet retailer, and world wide manufacturer. Three times someone was able to offer a simple solution. And three times they struck out.

3 Year Old Question

2008-01-12T21:17:00.000-05:00

I was in the kitchen today preparing lunch as my wife was helping our 3 year old get ready to visit my parents. I heard him starting to ask questions.

"Why does dad have a dad? Why does dad have a mom? But, the real question is..."

And I started to think, wow what is going through his mind? I couldn't wait to hear what the real question was!

"when you turn your car on, does it return the favor?"

Customer Service

2007-08-17T11:04:00.001-04:00

A post by Eric Sink, Absurd Customer Service, was the inspiration of this post. I had been thinking of writing this up anyway and hadn't gotten around to it. So his post seemed to be a good enough reason.

Two weeks ago I ordered some bike parts from an internet retailer. How do the local shops get away with charging such ridiculous prices? The total came to about $70 plus $8 shipping (USPS). After pressing the submit order button a feeling of panic came over me as I realized I forgot a $10 part. I definitely did not want another $10 order with $8 shipping. So I scanned the web site for a phone number hoping to catch my order and add the missing part. There must be a phone number somewhere.

I finally found a phone number and tried it. The phone was busy! I am not used to getting a busy signal for a business. Unfortunately, I am conditioned to expect to wait on hold for hours, but that is a topic for another day. By this time the confirmation email had come and I skimmed through it. It had the following paragraph:

"Questions sent to us from the order status screen are answered before questions that you send us directly via e-mail, so please log into the Customer Service part of our website to ask your order related questions."

I raced back to the web site to look for the order status screen only to find nothing. There was nothing called an order status screen. In fact their FAQ alludes to the fact that there isn't one because the tracking number is only going to come by email.

Since time is of the essence and they apparently do not respond to email very quickly I tried using their 'contact us' page.

24 hours later I received notice that my order had shipped, but no mention of my added part.

Another day goes by and I get an email from them saying it was too late to add anything to my order because it had already shipped. Apparently their 'contact us' form just sends them an email. It was attached to the bottom of the email I received from them.

I replied telling them to forget about it, explaining that I had tried to contact them in the fastest way possible but that their phones and web site were making that difficult.

Two more days go by and I get a reply of 'Sorry we couldn't help you.'

Here is where customer service should have gone into effect. Put yourself in the position of the business. You have a customer with a $70 order that tried to add $10 part but couldn't. I know $10 isn't very much money to you. At most you would pocket $7-8. That amount of money is not going to make the rent payment on the brick and mortar. However, the opportunity cost for you is great.

What would you lose if you offer to send the $10 part out anyway without charging for shipping? You collect $10 minus the actual cost of the part and the actual cost for the shipping. You are using the USPS for shipping. A small part, shipped in a box provided by the USPS would ship for about $3-4. So when you add up all the actual costs you realize you haven't lost any money at all. In fact you have gained $2-3. And the most import thing of all is you have made a happy customer. This is a customer that felt stupid in the first place by forgetting something on the order and you have just saved the day. You are now the hero.

Businesses need to remember that a happy customer is a repeat customer. A happy customer encourages their friends to be customers. In this day and age of the internet a happy customer tells complete strangers to be customers. Oh, and the opposite is true also. An unhappy customer never returns, and will tell the entire world why.

(In case you are wondering who the retailer was I am not going to say. I am not an unhappy customer exactly. But, I am not a happy customer either. So they are not going to get the publicity either way. Had they shown some sort of customer service I would have written about how great it was and then told you who it was.)

Now, get back to Eric Sink. He writes way better than I write.

Amen

2006-10-12T14:20:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wish I could write better. But when someone else says it better, why waste the energy.

Some Perspective on Privacy, by David Pogue.

And Again

2006-10-05T12:54:00.000-04:00

I just attempted reading an article that had so many errors in it that I couldn't finish. I think it is the same company I mentioned earlier. I have never been impressed with the content when they do get it correct, but the typos are just plain annoying. I guess I won't be reading their articles anymore : (

Photo Friday - Masterpiece

2006-05-12T07:48:00.000-04:00

Every Friday I anticipate the email from Photo Friday announcing the challenge for the week. I have never submitted a photo before, but I enjoy browsing the photos of others.

After discovering the challenge each week, I like to anticipate the kind of photos that others will submit. Sometimes I can guess pretty well what to expect. Sometimes I cannot. Almost always there are many who submit photos of flowers. Somehow flowers always relate to the challenge. This Friday was different.

The challenge for today is 'Masterpiece.' I immediately expected to see the traditional classic works of art, the Mona Lisa, David, etc. As I browsed the photos, there were many of those 'masterpieces.' There were also many buildings. One by one I began to notice that most of the submissions were photos of man-made items. I shouldn't have been surprised. I actually expected it. However, I realized the greatest 'masterpiece' of them all was missing, God's greatest creation.

So today, I make my first submission to Photo Friday. Enjoy.

Keep It Simple

2006-05-05T11:17:00.000-04:00

I know there are many techno gagdet geeks out there that love a complicated piece of machinery that will do a million and one things. Heck, I'm one of them. I want that new DVD recorder that reads and writes every format known to man. But, have you ever noticed that the simple things in life usually bring the greatest reward?

I was reading a blog post (Presentation Remotes, by Eric A. Meyer) this morning about a remote control for PowerPoint presentations. The speaker had gotten himself a fancy programable remote for his upcoming presentation. He found that it worked miserably (and sometimes not at all) and ended up not using it. At another presentation he borrowed someone else's remote. It was very simple, just a couple of buttons and a laser pointer. And that is what made it so great.

Have you ever been around a toddler at Christmas time or a birthday party? They will get the coolest toys on the market at the time, but what is it they end up playing with the most? Yep, that's right, the box it came in.

And it doesn't only work for machines. It works with people too. Has your day ever been brightened by someone's smile? How do you feel when you hear a heart felt 'thank you' from someone? Think about someone you admire and know personally. What is it about them that draws you to them? I would venture to guess it is the little things, a smile on their face, common courtesy, genuine concern for your well being, etc.

So, make a commitment today to brighten someone's day. Call an old friend just to say 'hi.' Write a love note to your spouse. Tell your kids about how great they are. Bake cookies for your neighbor. But, please don't waste too much time: Bubble Wrap

I Wept

2006-04-27T11:15:00.000-04:00

Hi Mom, by L. Jeffrey Zeldman

This article just popped up in my news reader.

My mother has Alzheimer's.

The Written Word

2006-04-27T11:12:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading a "blog post" on a corporate website. Actually, I didn't finish reading it. There were so many typos, grammatical errors, missing words, etc. that I never made it to the end. I couldn't believe all the mistakes. The author was trying to share some of his knowledge about a subject that I was interested in. But because of all of the mistakes I began to question his credibility. And then I thought of his customers. What would they think if they were to read the article. Was his work just as sloppy as the post?

I tried very delicately to bring up the subject in an email to the author. I didn't want to sound so negative about it but I thought he should know. If I had done the same thing on my business website I would want someone to point it out. Whether we like it or not we are judged by the things we write. Business websites are particulary sensitive. Our customers will be judging us by what they see. There is no place for such blatant mistakes on a business website.

Some of you might argue that "blog posts" have different rules. And I would agree, if it wasn't a business website. This is an author that is trying to build his company by sharing his knowledge. He is attempting to show everyone that he knows his material. Unfortunately, the mistakes get in the way.

Misplaced Headings

2006-03-23T14:37:00.000-05:00

I saw this ad on www.msn.com this morning. Is it me, or does Jodie Foster look like she has a five o'clock shadow?

I know you movie fans out there are saying, "no she doesn't." But I am talking about the names above the pictures. The first picture has Denzel Washington above it. Yep, got it right. The next picture (Jodie) has Clive Owen above it. Nope! And the last picture (Clive) has Jodie Foster above it. Again, it's wrong.

I see this sort of thing all the time in newspapers. Publishers are trying hard to use every inch of the page possible and a picture from one story ends up next to a headline of another. It makes for some funny headlines.

Are You Stupid?

2006-03-20T14:29:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure this proves anything.